Came home to an apartment on lockdown

[ArmedAndPolite]

Me and the wife went out for seafood early ~4:00pm and when we arrived to our apartment entrance there were police cars at each exit and on the streets. No one was allowed in or out. I figured they were looking for someone/s. Realized if i had not called in sick to work my wife would be inside and probably clueless to what was happening. (Typically stays in at night). Police were walking German shepherds around looking for someone. I told my wife if the suspects really wanted to avoid getting caught they could knock on someone's door and force themselves in to hide for a few hours. After about 2 hours we were let inside.

Spoke with management and they told us some people were caught shoplifting down the street. Police saw them run into our complex so they locked it down and brought the dogs. Both suspects were caught. One was hiding in a bush and the other on someone's balcony.

This was a good time to convince my wife that she needs to learn how to handle the gun I bought her (she hates guns).

I couldn't find a news article but this happened in Friendswood.

[airboss]

There have been a number of rather bold burglaries in that area recently. Maybe these two were part of it.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/neigh ... s/36678350

[suthdj]

So they lock you out of your home for a couple of shoplifters I think I would seek legal action against police and the business they deprived you of the use of your home and for what shoplifting sorry that is just wrong wrong wrong.

[bigity]

Definitely seems like overkill for shoplifters. Hopefully they had a valid reason to believe people were in danger.

[SewTexas]

well, if one of the guys was on someone's balcony, then, yeh, they were probably right to think people were in danger.

[dave_in_austin]

This entire lock down phenomenon has always puzzled me. Where does the legal authority for the detention of a complete population of an apartment building originate? There is no reasonable suspicion that any particular resident of the complex was involved in or a witness to a crime, so where does the police authority to effectively detain them by preventing them from coming and going from their residence arise? Can you any of you legal experts cite a statute that grants this authority?

[ArmedAndPolite]

There was a previous burglary about a month ago.

I'm glad they caught the shoplifters though. Would rather lockdown the place and guarantee they go to jail than let them run off.

[LabRat]

There was a previous burglary about a month ago.

I'm glad they caught the shoplifters though. Would rather lockdown the place and guarantee they go to jail than let them run off.

I'm going to disagree with this.
You were detained (from entering your home).
You were not a suspect or suspected of a committing a crime.
Why did you have to suffer a loss of your liberty - the freedom to come and go as you please?

In the (possibly) near future; would you OK with the police locking you out of your home just because they wanted to.

The loss of liberty occurs not in huge jumps, but with small steps - like eroding the bank of a river. Slowly but surely it gets whittled away. I agree with a previous poster; by what authority can they do that?

For shoplifters?? Not usually a violent crime. While I think all criminals should be caught, tried and if convicted, go to jail and pay for their actions. But at what cost to one's liberty and freedom to come and go with no interference from the government?

Just my thoughts.

LabRat

[Pariah3j]

There was a previous burglary about a month ago.

I'm glad they caught the shoplifters though. Would rather lockdown the place and guarantee they go to jail than let them run off.

I'm going to disagree with this.
You were detained (from entering your home).
You were not a suspect or suspected of a committing a crime.
Why did you have to suffer a loss of your liberty - the freedom to come and go as you please?

In the (possibly) near future; would you OK with the police locking you out of your home just because they wanted to.

The loss of liberty occurs not in huge jumps, but with small steps - like eroding the bank of a river. Slowly but surely it gets whittled away. I agree with a previous poster; by what authority can they do that?

For shoplifters?? Not usually a violent crime. While I think all criminals should be caught, tried and if convicted, go to jail and pay for their actions. But at what cost to one's liberty and freedom to come and go with no interference from the government?

Just my thoughts.

LabRat

“They that can give up liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Ben Franklin

[Abraham]

Move.

If you have to live in an apartment, find something like a garage apartment or a duplex.

Get away from mass apartment situations.

[WTR]

Do the Police have legal authority to order a lockdown of an area or a shelter in place decree. Also, can they legally search your home in a door to door search if they haven't seen a fugitive enter your home, or they don't have a search warrant? I'm assuming Marshall Law has not been declared.

[ArmedAndPolite]

There was a previous burglary about a month ago.

I'm glad they caught the shoplifters though. Would rather lockdown the place and guarantee they go to jail than let them run off.

I'm going to disagree with this.
You were detained (from entering your home).
You were not a suspect or suspected of a committing a crime.
Why did you have to suffer a loss of your liberty - the freedom to come and go as you please?

In the (possibly) near future; would you OK with the police locking you out of your home just because they wanted to.

The loss of liberty occurs not in huge jumps, but with small steps - like eroding the bank of a river. Slowly but surely it gets whittled away. I agree with a previous poster; by what authority can they do that?

For shoplifters?? Not usually a violent crime. While I think all criminals should be caught, tried and if convicted, go to jail and pay for their actions. But at what cost to one's liberty and freedom to come and go with no interference from the government?

Just my thoughts.

LabRat

Most of us here wouldn't have a problem dealing with this ourselves. Because most of us are aware of our surroundings, have the means and will to defend ourselves.

Now think about the other 99% of the population. Simply wandering blissfully unaware of their surroundings.

Sure, the people who were stuck in their cars unable to leave were detained. But I think everyone is better off giving the police their space and time to deal with the criminals who were looking around peoples' homes somewhere to hide. Who knows what other crimes they had in mind.

As far as moving out, if I could afford a down payment and qualify for a 3% mortgage on the house I want, I'd be out before 2016. However the place I'm in now is actually pretty nice and quiet, as long as someone isn't breaking and entering or hiding from the police

[C-dub]

I'm also not a fan of the "lockdown" theory. I think it was the Virginia Tech shooter that locked the doors with chains to keep people from being able to get away. Now the police are doing that for them, someone else in another thread pointed out. Moving out of an apartment and to a house won't make much difference. They also lockdown neighborhoods. It's kind of like a micro marshal law situation.

[VMI77]

There was a previous burglary about a month ago.

I'm glad they caught the shoplifters though. Would rather lockdown the place and guarantee they go to jail than let them run off.

I'm going to disagree with this.
You were detained (from entering your home).
You were not a suspect or suspected of a committing a crime.
Why did you have to suffer a loss of your liberty - the freedom to come and go as you please?

In the (possibly) near future; would you OK with the police locking you out of your home just because they wanted to.

The loss of liberty occurs not in huge jumps, but with small steps - like eroding the bank of a river. Slowly but surely it gets whittled away. I agree with a previous poster; by what authority can they do that?

For shoplifters?? Not usually a violent crime. While I think all criminals should be caught, tried and if convicted, go to jail and pay for their actions. But at what cost to one's liberty and freedom to come and go with no interference from the government?

Just my thoughts.

LabRat

Sure, the people who were stuck in their cars unable to leave were detained. But I think everyone is better off giving the police their space and time to deal with the criminals who were looking around peoples' homes somewhere to hide. Who knows what other crimes they had in mind.

I really really disagree. This problem is easily solved without a lock down. The police could simply escort you, or whomever, to their apartment. But ultimately, my safety is MY business. Whether I'm a special operator or a doofus, I have a right to enter MY residence and assume whatever risk that may entail.

[Abraham]

"However the place I'm in now is actually pretty nice and quiet, as long as someone isn't breaking and entering or hiding from the police"

O.K. and when it happens again, please remember my suggestion.

I've lived in a large apartment complex and would rather live in a tent that ever move back into such an environment.

You're only as safe as the least safe smoker among other things to worry about, like roaches (no matter if they regularly spray), plus your apartment WILL have folks you don't know in them when you're out, like un-vetted maintenance guys - the unsavory list goes on...those type apartments are constantly going up in blazes too...